The underlying reason Biden's infrastructure veto threat shocked Republicans
President Biden's two-track infrastructure approach left Senate Republicans steaming — not because they were unaware of Democrats' game plan, but because they didn't think it would work.
As The Washington Post's Seung Min Kim suggests, GOP anger could be stemming from a failed strategic play, in which Republicans only supported the two-track strategy because they thought "disarray" among Democrats would kill a larger reconciliation bill before it arrived at Biden's desk. Such an argument was previously backed up by Politico.
But when Biden shattered that notion on Thursday, promising he wouldn't approve a bipartisan infrastructure package unless it was accompanied by a second bill full of Democratic priorities, GOP negotiators were quick to condemn the threat as a "bait-and-switch."
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) is reportedly now "wavering in his support" of the bipartisan deal and is asking Democratic negotiators Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Krysten Sinema (D-Ariz.) to oppose the second bill. That move, Crooked Media's Brian Beutler argues, further brings the Republican long game — one maybe not as focused on bipartisanship as it appeared — to light.
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